Demi Lovato
Demetria Devonne "Demi" Lovato (born August 20, 1992)3 is an American actress and singer who made her debut as a child actress in Barney & Friends. In 2008, Lovato rose to prominence in the Disney Channel television film Camp Rock and signed a recording contract with Hollywood Records. She released her debut album, Don't Forget, that September; it has been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of over 530,000 copies. In 2009 Lovato received her own television series, Sonny with a Chance. That July her second album, Here We Go Again, debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200; its title track became her first single to break the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100, reaching number 15. After the release of additional television films and their soundtracks in 2010, Lovato's personal issues put her career on hiatus and ended Sonny with a Chance after its second season. Her third album, Unbroken (2011), addresses several of her difficulties. Its lead single, "Skyscraper", became Lovato's first single to be certified platinum in the United States; its second single, "Give Your Heart a Break", was certified double platinum. Lovato was as a judge and mentor on theAmerican version of The X Factor in 2012 and 2013. Her fourth album, Demi (2013), had first-week sales of 110,000 copies (the best debut week of Lovato's recording career). Demi was preceded by its lead single, "Heart Attack" (certified double platinum in the United States), that February. In September 2013 Lovato announced plans for a North American leg of her third headlining concert tour, the Neon Lights Tour, to promote Demi. In May 2014 (shortly after the tour) Lovato announced her fourth concert tour, the Demi World Tour, also in support of Demi. This would mark Lovato's first world tour.4 During her musical career, Lovato has made a number of concert tours. In 2008, she was the opening act for the Jonas Brothers' Burnin' Up Tour and Avril Lavigne's Best Damn Tour. Later that year Lovato began her first promotional tour, the Demi Live! Warm Up Tour. Since then, she has made two headlining concert tours: Demi Lovato: Live in Concert and A Special Night with Demi Lovato. Lovato has received a number of accolades, including an MTV Video Music Award, twenty-five Teen Choice Awards nominations (eleven of which she won), four People's Choice Awards, an ALMA award and a Billboard Touring Award. In 2013, Maxim ranked her 26th on its Hot 100 list and Billboard ranked her second on its Social 50 Artists of the Year list. Outside the entertainment industry, Lovato is involved with several social and environmental causes. In May 2013, she was cited for her dedication as a mentor to teens and young adults with mental-health challenges at a National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day hosted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration inWashington, D.C.. Contents hide * 1 Life and career ** 1.1 1992–2006: Early life and career beginnings ** 1.2 2007–08: Camp Rock and Don't Forget ** 1.3 2009–10: Sonny With a Chance and Here We Go Again ** 1.4 2010–12: Personal struggles, Unbroken, and The X-Factor ** 1.5 2013–present: Demi * 2 Philanthropy * 3 Artistry ** 3.1 Influences ** 3.2 Voice * 4 Personal life ** 4.1 Beliefs * 5 Filmography * 6 Discography * 7 Concert tours * 8 Publications * 9 Awards and nominations * 10 See also * 11 References * 12 External links Life and career 1992–2006: Early life and career beginnings Demetria Devonne Lovato was born on August 20, 1992 in Albuquerque, New Mexico5 to engineer and musician6 Patrick Martin Lovato (1960 — June 22, 2013)7 and former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader8 Dianna Lee Hart (born Dianna Lee Smith August 8, 1962).9 Lovato has an older sister, Dallas (born February 4, 1988);10 a younger maternal half-sister, actress Madison De La Garza,11and an older paternal half-sister, Amber,12 to whom she first spoke when she was 20.13 Her parents divorced in the late summer of 1994, shortly after her second birthday.14 Lovato's father is of Mexican and Spanish descent,1516 and she also has Irish, Italian and English ancestry.17 Patrick's paternal great-grandmother, Maria Cristina Perea, was a daughter of Civil War Union veteran Francisco Perea(1830–1913) and a great-granddaughter of Santa Fe de Nuevo México governor Francisco Xavier Chávez.18 Lovato was raised in Dallas, Texas.1920 With her friend Selena Gomez, she began her acting career on the children's television series Barney & Friends as Angela.21 She began playing piano at age seven and guitar at ten,22 when she also began dancing and acting classes.23 Lovato told Ellen DeGeneres that she was bullied so badly that she asked for homeschooling,24 and she received her high-school diploma through homeschooling in April 2009.25 She later became a spokesperson for the anti-bullying organization PACER and appeared on America's Next Top Model to speak out against bullying.26 In 2006 Lovato appeared on Prison Break, and on Just Jordan the following year.3 Lovato had experienced depression, an eating disorder and self-harm before going into rehab in November 2010.27 2007–08: Camp Rock and Don't Forget Lovato on the Demi Live! Warm Up Tour, 2008 In 2007 and 2008 Lovato played Charlotte Adams on the Disney Channel short series, As the Bell Rings.28 In one day she auditioned for the channel's television film Camp Rock and series Sonny with a Chance during the summer of 2007, and got both parts.29 Lovato played the lead character, aspiring singer Mitchie Torres, in Camp Rock.30 The film premiered on June 20, 2008 to 8.9 million viewers.31 Its soundtrack was released three days earlier; however, the music was considered less current than that of High School Musical.32 Gillian Flynn of Entertainment Weekly wrote that Lovato's acting skills were underwhelming and she "has the knee-jerk smile of someone who is often told she has a great smile".33 Lovato sang four songs on the soundtrack, including "We Rock" and "This Is Me".34 That summer, she began herDemi Live! Warm Up Tour before the release of her debut album35 and appeared on the Jonas Brothers' Burnin' Up Tour.36 Lovato's debut album, Don't Forget, was released on September 23, 2008. Michael Slezak of Entertainment Weekly said, "Demi Lovato might satisfy her 'tween fans but she won't be winning any rockers over with Don't Forget".37 The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 89,000 copies.38 Ten of its songs were co-written with the Jonas Brothers.39 Don't Forget was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for US sales of over 500,000 copies.40Its lead single, "Get Back", was praised for its pop rock style and peaked at number 43 on the US Billboard Hot 100.4142 The album's second single, "La La Land", was cited for its strong rock elements43 and peaked at number 52 in the U.S.42 2009–10: Sonny With a Chance and Here We Go Again Lovato at the 2009 premiere of Hannah Montana: The Movie (photo by Angela George) In 2009 Lovato recorded "Send It On", a charity single and the theme song for Disney's Friends for Change, with friends Selena Gomez,Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers.4445 All proceeds from the song were donated to environmental charities supported by the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund.44 Lovato's Disney Channel sitcom Sonny with a Chance, with her character Sonny Munroe the newest cast member of the show-within-a-show So Random!, premiered on February 8.46 Lovato's acting ability was described by Robert Lloyd of the Los Angeles Times as "very good", and he compared her favorably to Hannah Montana star (and friend) Miley Cyrus.47 That June, she co-starred as Princess Rosalinda with Selena Gomez in the Disney Channel film, Princess Protection Program. The film, the third highest-rated Disney Channel original movie, premiered to 8.5 million viewers.48 Lovato's second album, Here We Go Again, was released on July 21, 2009;3 she described its acoustic style as similar to that of John Mayer.49 The album received favorable reviews from critics who appreciated its enjoyable pop-rock elements, echoing reviews of Don't Forget.50 Lovato's first number-one album, it debuted atop the''Billboard'' 200 with first-week sales of 108,000 copies.51 Before its release, she began her Summer Tour 2009.52 The singles "Here We Go Again" and "Remember December" were considered the album's highlights by Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic.53 Peaking at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100, "Here We Go Again" was Lovato's first solo top-40 hit;42 "Remember December" peaked at number 80 on the UK Singles Chart.54 The entertainer made her first 40-city national concert tour, Live in Concert, in support of Here We Go Again. The tour, from June 21 to August 21, 2009,55 had David Archuleta,55 KSM and Jordan Pruitt as opening acts56 and Lovato and Archuleta received the Choice Music Tour award at the 2009 Teen Choice Awards.57 In March 2010, Lovato and Joe Jonas recorded "Make a Wave" as the second charity single for Disney's Friends for Change.58 In May Lovato guest-starred as a teenage schizophrenic in the sixth-season Grey's Anatomy episode, "Shiny Happy People".59 Although critics praised her versatility, they were underwhelmed by her acting and felt that her appearance was designed primarily to attract viewers.60 Later that year she headlined her first international tour, the South American Tour,6162 and joined the Jonas Brothers Live in Concert tour as a guest.63 Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam, with Lovato reprising her role as Mitchie Torres, premiered on September 3, 2010.6465 Critics were ambivalent about the film's plot, and it has a 40-percent approval rating onRotten Tomatoes.66 However, Lovato's performance was called "dependably appealing" by Jennifer Armstrong of Entertainment Weekly.67 The film premiered to eight million viewers, the number-one cable-television movie of the year by the number of viewers.68 Its accompanying soundtrack was released on August 10 with Lovato singing nine songs, including "Can't Back Down" and "Wouldn't Change a Thing".69 The soundtrack debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 41,000 copies.70 The Jonas Brothers' 2012 World Tour was reworked to incorporate Lovato and the rest of the film's cast;71 it began on August 7, two weeks later than planned.72 The Sonny with a Chance soundtrack was released on October 5; Lovato sang on four tracks, including "Me, Myself and Time".73It debuted (and peaked) at number 163 on the Billboard 200, her lowest-selling soundtrack.74 2010–12: Personal struggles, Unbroken, and The X-Factor Lovato performing inSpringfield, Illinois in 2012 On October 30, 2010 Lovato withdrew from the Jonas Brothers Live in Concert tour, entering a treatment facility for "physical and emotional issues".75 It was reported that she decided to enter treatment after punching female backup dancer Alex Welch, which led to an intervention by her management and family, and she took "100 percent, full responsibility" for the incident.27 On January 28 Lovato completed inpatient treatment at Timberline Knolls and returned home,76 acknowledging that she had hadbulimia, harmed herself and was "self-medicating" with drugs and alcohol "like a lot of teens do to numb their pain".77 She added that she "basically had a nervous breakdown" and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder during her treatment.78 Lovato later admitted that she had used cocaine several times a day and smuggled cocaine and alcohol onto airplanes.79 In April she became a contributing editor for Seventeen magazine, describing her struggles.80 That month Lovato also announced her departure from Sonny with a Chance, putting her acting career on hiatus and ending the series;81 she later said that she would return to acting when she felt confident doing so.82 Her departure led to the spin-off series So Random! with the Sonny cast, featuring sketches from the former show-within-a-show. The series was cancelled after one season.83 Lovato at The X Factor''auditions in San Francisco, June 2012 Lovato released her third album, ''Unbroken, on September 20, 2011.84 Begun in July 2010, the album experimented with R&B and featured less pop rock.85 The stylistic change received mixed reviews from critics, who saw a growth in musicianship because of her struggles but found the music more generic than her previous efforts.86 The lead single, "Skyscraper", was acclaimed for its messages of self-worth and confidence87 and it peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. Unbroken's second single, "Give Your Heart a Break", peaked at number 16 in the U.S.42 "Skyscraper" was certified platinum and "Give Your Heart a Break" double platinum. Lovato made her Summer Tour 2012 from June through September,88 and it was later continued in the U.S. as A Special Night with Demi Lovato.89 "Skyscraper" received the Best Video With a Message award at the September 2012 MTV Video Music Awards.90 In March 2012 MTV aired a documentary (Stay Strong) about Lovato's rehab and recovery,91 and she began work on her fourth album the following month.92 In May she became a judge for the second season of the American version of The X Factor, with a reported salary of one million dollars.93 Joining Britney Spears, Simon Cowell andL.A. Reid,94 it was speculated that she was chosen to attract a younger audience.95 Mentoring the Young Adults category, her final act (CeCe Frey) finished sixth.96 At the Minnesota State Fair in August, Lovato announced that after a pre-show performance at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards97 she would release a single by December.98 On December 24, she released a video on her YouTube account of herself singing "Angels Among Us" dedicated to the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.99 In January 2013, it was reported that Lovato had been living in a sober-living facility in Los Angeles for more than a year because she felt it was the best way to avoid returning to her addictions and eating disorder.100 2013–present: Demi On February 24 "Heart Attack" debuted on the On Air with Ryan Seacrest radio show101 as the lead single from Lovato's fourth album, Demi. The song was praised for incorporating electropop and acoustic guitar-and-drum instrumentation.102 It debuted at number 12 on the US Billboard Hot 100, with first-week sales of 215,000 copies. "Heart Attack" had the third-highest opening-week sales of 2013, behindJustin Timberlake's "Suit & Tie" and Ariana Grande's "The Way".103104 The song peaked at number 10 (Lovato's third showing in the US top ten),42 and was also successful in Australia and Spain.105 In March she was confirmed as returning for the The X Factor's third season,106 with her salary reportedly doubling.107 Lovato performed at the Twin Towers Alive Concert 2013 at the Petronas Twin Towersin Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on March 22, 2013 with the Backstreet Boys.108 Demi was released on May 10, 2013. Breaking with Unbroken's R&B, the album features electro- and teen pop. Although Jon Carmichael of The New York Times found Lovato's transition fun, according to''Entertainment Weekly'' it signified a less-mature image.109110 The album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 110,000 copies, the best-selling debut week of Lovato's career.111 It was also successful internationally, charting in the top ten in New Zealand, Spain and the UK.112 On June 11 Lovato released an e-book, Demi, on iBooks.113 She made her directorial debut co-directing the music video for the second single from Demi, "Made in the USA".114 Lovato contributed to the The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones soundtrack album with "Heart by Heart".115 On August 22, it was announced that Lovato had agreed to appear in at least six episodes of the fifth season of Glee. She played Dani, a struggling New York-based artist who befriends Rachel Berry (Lea Michele) and Santana Lopez (Naya Rivera) and interacts with fellow newcomer Adam Lambert's character. Lovato debuted in the season's second episode, which aired on October 3.116117 On November 19 she released a book, Staying Strong: 365 Days a Year, which topped the New York Times bestseller list.118 The entertainer has agreed to write a memoir, which is expected to be published in 2014.119The third season of The X Factor premiered on November 21, with Lovato mentoring the Girls category. Her final two acts (Rion Paige and Ellona Santiago) finished fifth and sixth, respectively. Lovato announced her upcoming Neon Lights Tour (including a Canadian leg) on September 29, 2013.120 On October 21 she released "Let It Go" for the Disney film Frozen, which was released in theaters on November 27, and the song was promoted as the single for the film's soundtrack.121 Its music video was released on November 1.122 The third single from Demi, "Neon Lights", was released on November 19. On December 18, Lovato confirmed that she would not return to the The X Factor for a fourth season to focus on touring and recording her fifth album:123 "I've already started recording for my new album, and I have plans to record during the tour. The sound just evolves into everything that I've been and everything that I want to become."124 She also said, "I've never been so sure of myself as an artist when it comes down to confidence, but not only personal things, but exactly what I want my sound to be and what I know I'm capable of and this album will give me the opportunity to show people what I can really do."125 On February 9, 2014 Lovato began the Neon Lights Tour, her third headlining concert tour; the North and South American tour would last until May 17.126127 On May 11, in conjunction with the first anniversary of Demi's release, she announced its fourth single; "Really Don't Care"'s music video was released three days later.128 On May 18, it was announced that Lovato would be featured on "Somebody to You" from The Vamps' debut album, Meet the Vamps. 129 On May 29 she announced her fourth concert tour (and first world tour, covering 25 cities), the Demi World Tour, and its first North American dates.130 In November 2014, Lovato will open the UK shows on Enrique Iglesias's Sex and Love Tour.131 Philanthropy Lovato at the 15th Annual Arthur Ashe Kids' Day, 2010 In May 2009, Lovato was named an Honorary Ambassador of Education by the American Partnership For Eosinophilic Disorders.132 As part of her involvement with Disney's Friends for Change, Lovato, Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers recorded the initiative's theme song ("Send It On") in 2009. The song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 20,4445 and its proceeds were directed to environmental charities through the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund.44 Lovato and Joe Jonas recorded another song, "Make a Wave", for the charity in March 2010.58 She is also spokesperson for the Join the Surge Campaign!, DoSomething.Org and Joining the Surge by Clean & Clear; the latter is a national campaign encouraging teenagers to take action in their communities.133 Lovato was featured in a January 2010 public-service announcement for Voto Latino to promote the organization's "Be Counted" campaign preparing for the 2010 United States Census.134 In October 2010 she was the spokeswoman for the anti-bullying organization, PACER.135 Lovato participated in the "A Day Made Better" school-advocacy campaign136 and has supported DonateMyDress.org, Kids Wish Network, Love Our Children USA, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and City of Hope.137 In April 2012 she became a contributing editor of Seventeen magazine, describing her personal struggles to its female teenage audience.80 In October Lovato was named the ambassador of''Mean Stinks'', a campaign focused on eliminating bullying by girls.138 In May 2013 she was cited for her dedication as a mentor to teens and young adults with mental-health problems at a National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day hosted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in Washington.139 In late June 2013 Lovato announced the creation of the Lovato Treatment Scholarship Program, named for her late father, to pay treatment costs for mentally-ill patients.140 In August 2013, she traveled to Kenya for her 21st birthday to participate in a program of the international charity organization Free the Children.141 In May 2014, Lovato was named the LA Pride Parade Grand Marshal and the lead performer for NYC Pride Week for her contribution to the LGBT community. NYC Pride spokesperson Patti Diluigi said, "Demi Lovato is an amazing role model for today's youth, both LGBT and non-LGBT, for her activism in the area of equality, positive messaging on body image, and level of openness with her struggles. As a community, we're fortunate to have an ally like Demi."142 Artistry Influences Lovato has listed Kelly Clarkson, Christina Aguilera, Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, Billy Gilman and Billie Holiday among her musical influences.143 About Gilman she said, "We had the same voice range when I was young. I would practice to his songs all the time."144 Lovato listened to metal music in her teens,145 and has said that John Mayer's songwriting has been a "huge influence" on her.146 After the release of Unbroken, she said that her musical styles have shifted towards hip hop and R&B.143 Lovato said about her admiration for Clarkson, "I just thought she was a great role model. She was never publicly seen drinking and driving or wearing really scandalous clothes or anything like that. I feel like she set a really great example and she was extremely talented."147 Lovato's Neon Lights Tour was "inspired by Beyoncé."148 Voice Lovato is a mezzo-soprano.149 Nick Levine of Digital Spy called her vocals on Don't Forget "consistently impressive".150 Becky Brain of Idolator wrote that Lovato has a "killer voice and the A-list material to put it to good use".151 According to Sophie Schillaci of the The Hollywood Reporter, the entertainer "has a voice that can silence even the harshest of critics. Something not often found in her peers."152 Personal life In March 2009 Lovato said, "My first passion is music, because it comes naturally to me. Acting has been like a hobby."153 In 2010, she briefly dated Joe Jonas.154 On her eighteenth birthday, she bought a Mediterranean-style house in Los Angeles; however, she decided to live in a "sober house" in Los Angeles after leaving rehab in January 2011.155 Lovato had no interest in forging a relationship with her late father, Patrick, after his divorce from her mother. He is the subject of "For the Love of a Daughter", reportedly prompted by a series of interviews he gave to profit from her fame.156 Patrick died of cancer on June 22, 2013, at age 53.7157 After his death Lovato said that he had been mentally ill, and in his honor she created the Lovato Treatment Scholarship Program.140 Beliefs Lovato is a Christian, praying with her band before they perform,11 and an active supporter of gay rights. When the Defense of Marriage Act was repealed in June 2013, she tweeted: "Gay, straight, lesbian, bi..... No one is better than any one else. What an incredible day for California AND for equality."158 Lovato later said, "I believe in gay marriage, I believe in equality. I think there's a lot of hypocrisy with religion. But I just found that you can have your own relationship with God, and I still have a lot of faith."159 In an early November 2013 interview with Latina magazine, she said: "I'm the closest I've ever been with God. I have my own relationship with God and that's all that matters," and that she finds spirituality to be important part of maintaining balance in life.15 On December 23, 2011, Lovato posted a message on Twitter criticizing her former network for airing episodes of Shake It Up and So Random! in which characters joked about eating disorders. Disney Channel publicity officials quickly took action, apologizing to Lovato and removing the episodes from the network's broadcast and video on demand sources after additional criticism (following Lovato's post) on the network's public-relations account.160 Filmography Discography Main article: Demi Lovato discography * Don't Forget (2008) * Here We Go Again (2009) * Unbroken (2011) * Demi (2013) Concert tours Publications * Staying Strong: 365 Days a Year, Feiwel & Friends (19 November 2013) ISBN 978-1-25-005144-8 Category:Actors from Texas Category:American child actors Category:American child singers Category:American Christians Category:American actor-singers Category:American guitarists Category:American pianists Category:American Internet personalities Category:American female singers Category:American pop singers Category:American rock singers Category:American bloggers Category:American singer-songwriters Category:American television actors Category:Fascination Records artists Category:Hispanic American actors Category:Mexican Americans Category:Italian Americans Category:Irish Americans Category:Hollywood Records artists Category:Irish-American musicians Category:Italian-American musicians Category:Living people Category:Mexican American musicians Category:Musicians from Texas Category:People from Dallas, Texas Category:YouTube video producers Category:1992 births